Ski, snowmobile trail counts high at several NH resorts

While the mercury sunk into the single digits this past week, trail counts have shot up at ski resorts and on snowmobile trails throughout the region, making for some pretty impressive conditions for the coming weekend.

In three weeks we have gone from rain and pitiful snowfall and 20 percent of trails open on average, to several feet of snow, and 75 percent or more of the trails open from Pittsburg to Granite Gorge in Keene.

Moderating and more seasonable temperatures projected for the weekend are making the next few days look particularly promising to head out.

Thursday, despite the mercury at about 14 degrees at the base, I skied for the afternoon with my friend Beth at Mount Sunapee.

The ski area in Newbury had 50 of its 66 trails open and they were buff. Fortunately, there was not a lot of wind and you could see as far as Mount Washington. It was perfectly groomed and still untracked in places with powder snow blown over the top. Sunnyside was blasting snow and the cold was making for some very nice product.

Nothing was skied-off or icy.

Some of the glades were also open, and while thin in places with rocks and roots exposed, they were lots of fun. Beth was on her telemark skis and really loved the glades.

In the past week, I have also skied Waterville Valley, Ragged Mountain in Danbury on New Year's Day and Gunstock and have had some fun in the back woods on nordic equipment.

Friday, I am headed out early to Stratton Mountain in southern Vermont to see my 18-year-old daughter, Eliza, ski race in the Women's Eastern Cup, a four-day series of slalom and giant slalom races for college and academy level racers.

Eliza is taking a post-graduate year at Waterville Valley Academy, after graduating last May from Holderness School. College coaches encouraged her and most all potential college racers to spend a year focusing on improving racing technique and getting stronger.

It is also a chance for her to travel, earn some money and help put her thoughts together on what she wants to study in college and where. It has been an excellent choice and particularly fun winter for her mother as I can see her at races around the region at the same time as I do some outdoors reporting.

What impressed me most this past week was the ability for ski resorts to improve upon their offerings from the Christmas vacation week.

Snowmaking took up where mother nature left off and now for example, Bretton Woods is skiing on 89 of 102 trails, Pat's Peak has 100 percent of its terrain open, Dartmouth Skiway went from two trails open two weeks ago to 10 of its 31 trails, and Waterville Valley was skiing on 80 percent of its terrain.

Cross-country areas went from nothing open to close to 100 percent at places like Jackson Ski Touring which now posts 145 kilometers of terrain open, to Franconia Village with 65 kilometers open and even in the Upper Valley, Eastman was reporting 25 kilometers open.

The same was true for the snowmobile trails counts which are pretty sweet everywhere, except a few exceptions like the Laconia area which was closed.New snow was able to be packed down this week by groomers and the state was reporting Pittsburg and Colebrook trails as good to great. Pisgah had 100 percent of its trails open and Bear Brook in Allenstown was reporting marginal conditions as of Dec. 31.

Christmas week storms dumped up to 6 feet of snow in parts of the Mount Washington Valley bringing outdoor adventurers by the thousands, according to Marti Mayne, a chamber spokesman.

She said 100 percent of the businesses responding to a survey reported sales were up over last year, and credited the Valley’s preponderance of snow and outdoor adventure with luring vacationers to the region.

Kathy Bennett, marketing director for Cranmore Mountain Resort, reported that Christmas vacation week sales were up 11 percent over last year through Dec. 30.

“The abundant natural snowfall and our investment in snow making equipment resulted in our having more terrain open this year compared to last...We believe the pent up demand after last year’s snow challenges has led to a lot of consumer demand for skiing this year,” she added.

Thom Perkins at Jackson Ski Touring said while it was not a record-breaker it was close to it due entirely to the natural snowfall.

Thomas Prindle, marketing director for Attitash Mountain Resort and Wildcat Mountain, said visits for the holiday week were up significantly over the previous year’s period.

“From Christmas Day to New Year’s Eve Day, Attitash was up 45 percent over last year and Wildcat Mountain almost tripled the number of visits this year over last for the same period," he said.

Even in the Merrimack Valley, Pat's Peak was solid busy during the holiday, and it would have been a record were it not for the way the calendar fell, said Kris Blomback, general manager.

On Saturday, Pat's Peak will celebrate the actual day it opened 50 years ago and will offer a huge birthday cake to those at the mountain at 2 p.m.

I was just checking the Stratton website and it looks like they have 87 trail and 440 acres of terrain open. Should make for some very good choices between my parental duties Friday.

I hope you get a chance to get out this weekend and have some fun in the snow.